Good qualities
by snipsa
Summary: Johnny has a proposition for Ben but just can’t seem to get the correct words out there.  JohnnyBen friendship.  BenAlicia relationship.


**Warning! This takes place during the second movie, and thus spoilers abounds, don't read if you haven't watched it and would like to remain unspoiled!**

Summary – Johnny has a proposition for Ben but just can't seem to get the correct words out there. Johnny/Ben friendship. Ben/Alicia relationship.

A/N – The new movie seems to have inspired me more than I thought possible. This has no connection to the longer story I started posting today. This is just a short Ben-Johnny friendship piece and takes place in the middle of the new movie (Rise of the Silver Surfer).

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**Good qualities**

Johnny Storm walked into the lounge of the Baxter Building spying the man he'd been looking for, lounging about on the largest couch. This man was blissfully unaware of his scrutiny, eyes fixed firmly on the television set that sported the brightly coloured characters of the Powerpuff Girls.

Johnny realized he'd have to speak up if he wanted the other's attention and thus said the first thing to come to mind.

"So Pebbles; cause any rockslides lately?"

The reaction was instantaneous, just like Johnny had known it would be. Ben Grimm, startled away from his second favourite program, looked at the Human Torch, anger, hurt and maybe even a bit of loathing shining through his dark eyes.

As quick as the feelings had appeared in the other man's eyes, it seemed to disappear as well, being replaced by a rather malicious gleam instead.

"So Matchstick, almost kill anyone lately?" The words were out of his mouth before you could say "Jeopardy", and Ben realized that even though they were malicious, he'd meant to say them. Anything to get the boy to realize the hurt he caused when he spoke before thinking.

And it seemed to have worked, a look of guilt, loss and worry flitted over the other's face before his cocky grin and sparkling eyes quickly replaced it again.

"Not in a while Pebs… Not in a while…"

Johnny waited for Ben to make place for him on the couch and sat himself next to the other, wondering how he was going to broach the subject without endangering his own life in the process.

'Well, let no man say Johnny Storm isn't courageous' he thought as he decided to just get it over with.

"Pebbles… Ben… I was wondering, and I know we've talked about this before, but I never quite got an answer… You and Alicia, have you been able to… uhm… how do I say this… have you been able to do the deed yet?"

Johnny saw a look of fury taking residence on Ben's face again, how a look could be portrayed so effectively on such a rocky surface Johnny would never understand, but he realized that he was pretty close to losing either his manlihood or his life in the next couple of seconds if he didn't quickly explain himself…

"Ben… Calm down… I'm not trying to rile you up… I was just wondering if you've been able to do it yet, because if you haven't I'd like to help you out…" Before the words had completely left his mouth he realized that it had come out a lot worse than intended, but wasn't quite able to swallow the sentence. Before he knew what had hit him he felt Ben's hands closing around his throat, his body being lifted from the floor for a millisecond, before the unmistakable feeling of powers being transferred left him reeling and he looked as his body turned to rock for the second time in two days…

"You're a dead man Matchst.. Pebbl.. JONATHAN STORM!!!"

With those words Ben started to run after the younger man once more, Johnny struggling to stay in front since he wasn't used to the weight of the rocks that had settled throughout his body.

"BEN! I'm trying to help you. Make love not war… You know the old adage…"

Again, Johnny only realized the implications of his words once they'd been spoken aloud and realized if he didn't put a stop to this, somebody was leaving the building in a body bag; and at that moment that somebody looked remarkably like himself.

"I swear to God if you suggest we have sex one more…"

"WHAT!!! NO! No, no, no, no… There's a misunderstanding here big guy… Me and you? You and me? Urgh, how would that even work? We'd just keep switching powers the whole time. Man; that would hurt! No seriously, I was trying to help you out. How would you like to be a normal, un-rockied, human being for one night? How would you feel if you could get closer to Alicia than you've ever been able to before? Seriously, I'm just trying to help…"

Johnny's true meaning seemed to finally hit Ben as he slowed down in his pursuit of the younger man, and suddenly came to a stop, a look of complete astonishment and disbelief on his face.

"Match… Johnny? You're serious aren't you? You'd do that for us? Let us have a normal evening?" Johnny could have sworn he saw the glint of a tear in his former commanding officer's eye, even though he was sure the other man would deny it for all eternity.

"Well, for Alicia, I mean, yes… She deserves a normal night with the man she says she loves. And, you need it too big guy, you… deserve it." Johnny looked away from the other man, aware that even though he was in rock form his voice had kind of squeaked at the end of his little speech.

"I guess Sue was right…" Johnny looked up in surprise at the quietly spoken words.

"What's that?"

"She said you had some good qualities." Johnny couldn't keep the smile from his face at the words. His sister thought he had good qualities! That was so… sisterly!

"Yeah well, just make sure to lock the door and close the windows before you leave, I don't want any reporters seeing me like this, it'd scare my adoring fans away for hours!" Johnny could barely repress a shudder at the thought.

"And thus leaveth the good qualities once more…"

With the softly muttered words Ben started to leave the room, but he turned back once more to give the younger man a grateful nod, before locking the door behind him as he went to make the necessary arrangements for a night to be remembered.


End file.
